Last year’s Annual Town Meeting in Russell. (WNG file photo)
RUSSELL – On Tuesday May 15, a special public discussion on town and Gateway budget concerns will be hosted by Russell’s Finance Committee and Select Board, in preparation for the Annual Town Meeting on June 11. The forum will be held at Town Hall in the Senior Center at 7:00 PM. Community residents, voters, department heads and taxpayers are urged to participate and ask questions, as several new proposals impacting the town will be introduced and must be decided by voters on June 11.
The Finance Committee and Select Board wanted to facilitate the question and answer session so that important and complex issues can be unraveled, and in hopes that the Annual Town Meeting and votes can be streamlined, according to Finance Committee member Derrick Mason.
The issues this year include a proposal amending the Gateway towns’ regional agreement to change the town assessment method over a five-year test period, and a first-year assessment for Russell based on the proposed system.
Mason said the proposals were negotiated by the six Gateway towns and GRSD district leadership in monthly meetings over the past year that were facilitated by consultants from Mass. Association of Regional Schools (MARS). All six towns must vote for the amendment in order for it to pass. Last week, Blandford voted in favor of the amendment at its town meeting.
The town’s general financial condition, detailed departmental budget proposals for FY’19, and other immediate concerns will be up for discussion. The end of Westfield’s use of the Russell Elementary School, rising Gateway and vocational school costs, and new regulations for farming, solar and cannabis may appear on the agenda for Annual Town Meeting, and should also generate public interest.
